Report: Notable suitor emerges to potentially buy Nationals

Jul 3, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez (4) looks on during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals are for sale, and the franchise has attracted one potential suitor who will be well known to D.C. fans.

Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is a potential suitor to purchase the Nationals, according to Barry Svrluga, Ben Strauss, and Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Leonsis has been granted access to the organization’s financial data, a key step in the purchase process.

The Nationals have drawn widespread interest as principal owner Ted Lerner explores a sale. The Lerner family has left open the possibility of retaining ownership, but the report states that there is a belief a sale could be approved by the end of the year. Leonsis is not the only suitor, as the organization has met with at least five prospective buyers.

The Nationals are in the midst of a major rebuild, firmly signaled by the team’s decision to trade Juan Soto earlier in August.

Leonsis will certainly be a well-known suitor, though it remains to be seen if he will be a popular one. The Capitals have won a Stanley Cup on his watch, but the Wizards have struggled to find consistent success, and part of that has been blamed on Leonsis.

Forbes valued the Nationals at $2 billion as of March.